Why the Same Coral Costs $30 or $300
Genus-level rows on this index can span a 100× price range without anything being mispriced. Here's what actually drives coral price spreads.
Published July 29, 2026 · figures recomputed from data through September 5, 2026 · by Reef Price Index
Look up almost any coral type on this index and the range looks absurd: the same "species" priced at $25 at one end and several hundred dollars at the other. The widest spread on the latest snapshot is Acropora, running from $14.99 to $2,499.99 — a 167× ratio. Nothing in that range is mispriced. Understanding why is the single most useful thing a coral buyer can learn from price data.
The widest spreads right now
| Coral type | Low | Median | High | High ÷ Low | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acropora | $14.99 | $119.60 | $2,499.99 | 167× | 995 |
| Chalice Coral | $19.99 | $79.99 | $2,499.99 | 125× | 250 |
| Montipora | $12.00 | $39.99 | $999.99 | 83× | 275 |
| Micromussa / Acan Lords | $23.20 | $89.99 | $1,799.99 | 78× | 144 |
| Goniopora | $24.99 | $129.99 | $999.99 | 40× | 148 |
| Mushroom Coral | $19.99 | $149.00 | $799.00 | 40× | 183 |
| Scolymia / Master Scoly | $161.10 | $314.10 | $5,499.00 | 34× | 78 |
| Zoanthids | $15.20 | $39.99 | $349.99 | 23× | 607 |
| Goniastrea | $14.99 | $69.99 | $299.00 | 20× | 7 |
| Plate Coral (Fungia/Diaseris) | $39.99 | $184.99 | $699.00 | 17× | 82 |
| Birdsnest Coral (Seriatopora) | $19.99 | $39.99 | $324.99 | 16× | 49 |
| Echinata | $23.20 | $44.99 | $349.00 | 15× | 33 |
| Toadstool / Leather Coral | $23.20 | $79.99 | $324.99 | 14× | 42 |
| Acanthophyllia (Meat Coral) | $179.10 | $599.00 | $2,499.00 | 14× | 60 |
| Favia / Favites | $15.20 | $49.99 | $199.99 | 13× | 170 |
Four honest reasons one coral type spans 100×
- Strain names. Our coral rows group at genus level by design — a "chalice" row contains every named chalice strain the vendors list. A common strain's frag and a grail strain's frag are the same row and can differ in price by two orders of magnitude. The name, not the polyp count, is most of the price.
- Size class. A single-polyp frag, a multi-head colony, and a show colony of the same strain are one biological type at three very different prices.
- WYSIWYG vs. representative. The certainty of buying the exact photographed piece carries its own measured premium (we quantified it by genus).
- Grade within a strain. Two frags of the same named strain differ in coloration quality, and vendors price that grade honestly — the high end of a row is usually a vendor's best pieces, not its most optimistic pricing.
What tight spreads look like
The comparison that proves the point: coral types sold as structure rather than coloration cluster tightly, because there's no strain lottery to price.
| Coral type | Low | Median | High | High ÷ Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavona (Cactus Coral) | $15.20 | $15.20 | $24.99 | 1.6× |
| Platygyra (Maze Brain) | $31.20 | $39.50 | $59.99 | 1.9× |
| Galaxea | $24.49 | $31.20 | $49.99 | 2.0× |
| Trachyphyllia (Open Brain) | $206.10 | $251.10 | $449.99 | 2.2× |
| Porites | $14.99 | $23.20 | $39.99 | 2.7× |
How to use a spread when buying
- Anchor on the median for an ordinary frag of an ordinary strain. Half of today's listings sit at or below it.
- Read the low as the entry ticket, not a deal alert — it's usually the smallest frag of the most common strain.
- Never judge a high price against the row median without reading the listing. "Overpriced" and "a named grail strain, graded and photographed" look identical in a table. Click through before concluding anything.